FIFA president Gianni Infantino reveals his dispair at Italy's failure to reach the World Cup finals where he had hoped to hand the trophy to Azzurri captain Gianluigi Buffon.

The usual search for a "Group of Death" that adds spice to the buildup towards the FIFA World Cup looks to be a fruitless one after Friday's draw in Moscow as, partly down to the new rankings-based format, none of the favourites face more than one tough-looking rival.

The draw for the 2018 Russia World Cup kicks off in Moscow and we take a look at how the teams line up.

Italy fail to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 60 years after being held to a 0-0 home draw on Monday by a defiant Sweden, who booked a place at next year's finals in Russia with a 1-0 aggregate win.

How much did Lionel Messi influence Argentina's qualification to the 2018 World Cup in Russia?

Video assistance for referees could be a reality at next year's World Cup finals despite teething problems when they were tested at the Club World Cup, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Friday.

Tim Cahill hat-trick powers visiting Australia to a 4-0 victory over hosts Bangladesh in a FIFA World Cup qualifier match.